The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Can Our Dead Pets Visit Us? Grief, Dreams, and Interpreting Unusual Experiences

Can Our Dead Pets Visit Us? Grief, Dreams, and Interpreting Unusual Experiences

When a beloved animal dies, the world can feel strangely doubled. Part of you knows the practical facts—you signed the euthanasia paperwork, you chose an urn, you carried home a...

Helping Seniors Cope With Pet Loss: Grief, Loneliness, and Everyday Support

Helping Seniors Cope With Pet Loss: Grief, Loneliness, and Everyday Support

When a senior loses a beloved pet, the impact goes far beyond simple sadness. For many older adults, a pet is more than a companion, it is a source of...

Explaining Pet Death to Children Without Saying “They Went to Sleep”

Explaining Pet Death to Children Without Saying “They Went to Sleep”

For many families, a pet’s death is the first time a child comes face to face with loss. You are grieving yourself, making decisions about cremation, memorials, and what to...

When Pet Grief Feels Overwhelming: Mental Health Insights and When to Get Extra Help

When Pet Grief Feels Overwhelming: Mental Health Insights and When to Get Extra Help

If you are reading this because you feel like you are falling apart after losing a pet, I want to say this plainly: nothing about your reaction is “too much.”...

Stages of Grief After Losing a Pet: What They Really Feel Like and How to Cope

Stages of Grief After Losing a Pet: What They Really Feel Like and How to Cope

If you are reading about the stages of grief after losing a pet, it likely means something in your world has shifted in a way you never expected. The house...

Gardening for Grief: Planting a Memorial Tree or Flower Bed

Gardening for Grief: Planting a Memorial Tree or Flower Bed

When someone you love dies, whether it’s a person or a cherished pet, the world around you can feel unnervingly empty. The house may seem quieter, routines feel hollow, and...

Pet Loss for People With Disabilities: Unique Needs and Support

Pet Loss for People With Disabilities: Unique Needs and Support

For many people living with disabilities, a pet is far more than “just” a companion. A dog may steady a wheelchair or guide you safely across a busy street. A...

Christian Comfort After Pet Loss: Bible Verses, Prayers, and Gentle Ways to Remember

Christian Comfort After Pet Loss: Bible Verses, Prayers, and Gentle Ways to Remember

When a beloved pet dies, the house can feel strangely hollow. You might catch yourself reaching out a hand in the dark for a warm body that is no longer...

The Neurology of Attachment: Why Your Brain Panics When Your Pet Is Gone

The Neurology of Attachment: Why Your Brain Panics When Your Pet Is Gone

On an ordinary day, your brain quietly expects certain things: the click of claws on the floor, the weight of a body at your feet, the way your cat’s tail...

How to Tell Children a Pet Has Died When They Weren’t There

How to Tell Children a Pet Has Died When They Weren’t There

For many families, a pet’s last moments happen away from home. A dog may be euthanized at the vet after a sudden emergency. A cat might die while a child...

Helping Neurodivergent Kids and Teens Cope With Pet Loss

Helping Neurodivergent Kids and Teens Cope With Pet Loss

When a beloved pet dies, the whole rhythm of a household changes. For neurodivergent kids and teens—including autistic children, young people with ADHD, or those with other learning and processing...

When People Don’t Understand Your Pet Grief: Coping With “It Was Only a Dog”

When People Don’t Understand Your Pet Grief: Coping With “It Was Only a Dog”

When a pet dies, your world can tilt on its axis. You may find yourself reaching out with your foot at night for a familiar warm body that isn’t there,...

Preparing Your Heart for the Death of an Aging Pet

Preparing Your Heart for the Death of an Aging Pet

There is a moment many pet parents remember with startling clarity: you look at your dog or cat and suddenly notice how white their muzzle has become, how slowly they...

Grieving a Pet From Afar: Long-Distance Loss and Saying Goodbye Remotely

Grieving a Pet From Afar: Long-Distance Loss and Saying Goodbye Remotely

When a pet dies, most of us imagine being right there: hand on their fur, whispering goodbyes, feeling their breathing slow under our palm. Long-distance pet loss breaks that picture...

Pet Loss and the Rainbow Bridge: Comforting Story or Painful Myth?

Pet Loss and the Rainbow Bridge: Comforting Story or Painful Myth?

Why the Rainbow Bridge Story Matters So Much If you have ever lost a beloved animal, there is a good chance someone has sent you the Rainbow Bridge story. It...

Guilt After Pet Euthanasia: What’s Normal, What Isn’t, and How to Heal

Guilt After Pet Euthanasia: What’s Normal, What Isn’t, and How to Heal

There are few decisions in life as heart-wrenching as choosing euthanasia for a beloved pet. Even when your heart knows that their suffering has become unbearable and that their body...